Fast Computation of Minimal Cut Sets in Metabolic Networks with a Berge Algorithm that Utilizes Binary Bit Pattern Trees

Minimal cut sets are a valuable tool for analyzing metabolic networks and for identifying optimal gene intervention strategies by eliminating unwanted metabolic functions and keeping desired functionality. Minimal cut sets rely on the concept of elementary flux modes which are sets of indivisible metabolic pathways under steady state condition. However, the computation of minimal cut sets is non-trivial, as even medium sized metabolic networks with just 100 reactions easily have several hundred million elementary flux modes. We developed a minimal cut set tool that implements the well known Berge algorithm and utilizes a novel approach to significantly reduce the program run time by using binary bit pattern trees. By using the introduced tree approach the size of metabolic models that can be analyzed and optimized by minimal cut sets is pushed to new and considerably higher limits.